Zema Williams -- who goes by the name "Chief Zee" -- poses with some NFL fans. Photo by Katidid213
Vincent Schilling, a member of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, wasn't among the 504 "ordinary" Native Americans who were asked about the Washington NFL team's racist mascot. Were you?
In my career of approximately 12 years as a journalist, book author, speaker, author and now as Arts and Entertainment, Sports and Pow Wow’s editor for Indian Country Today Media Network, I am constantly hearing the voices in Indian Country. In my experience over the past decade and more having attended pow wows, tribal gatherings, protests, political events, school events, visited reservations and more – and based on all those conversations, I don’t believe the Washington Post poll is an accurate reflection of Indian country. It’s true that some Native people say they are not offended by the Redskins name, but in my experience, they are rare. I have also been told on numerous occasions where I was asked to appear on television, online or on national radio to discuss the Redskins, the organizers and producers had an extremely difficult time finding a Native person who approved of the Redskins name. The Washington Post says they spoke to a random selection of 504 Native American people. In a country with 566 federally recognized reservations (not including the Pamunkey up for Federal and the multitude of State or unrecognized tribes) this roughly equates to less than one person per federally recognized tribe.Get the Story:
Vincent Schilling: Offended by the Redskins?: An Indian Country Twitter Poll (Indian Country Today 5/20) More Opinions:
Dave Ruthenberg: Tell us again, who is offended by Redskins? (The Enid News 5/22)
Editorial: A slur is a slur: Change the Washington football team’s name (The Washington Post 5/21)
Paul Woody: If the 'Redskins' nickname does not offend, it's time to move on (The Richmond Times-Dispatch 5/21)
Robert McCartney: I’m dropping my protest of Washington’s football team name (The Washington Post 5/20)
Editorial: Meet the real 'Redskins' bigots (The New York Post 5/19) Also Today:
A Heated Linguistic Debate: What Makes ‘Redskins’ a Slur? (The New York Times 5/22)
Inside the fight between Daniel Snyder and Native American activists over ‘Redskins’ (The Washington Post 5/21)
For Native American activists, a new Post poll on Redskins name won’t end their fight (The Washington Post 5/20)
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